Lesser Known New Mexico Podcast

Howdy, everyone!We’ve been busy with other work, but we’re back!In this week’s episode, Andy interviews Dr. Timothy Nelson, author of Blackdom, New Mexico: The Significance of the Afro-Frontier, 1900-1930.We also chat about the news, including these stories from some of our favorite reporters:https://sourcenm.com/briefs/new-mexico-enacts-sweeping-statewide-fire-restrictions-to-prevent-wildfires/https://www.kunm.org/kunm-news-update/2026-04-06/mon-rio-grande-could-dry-up-in-albuquerque-for-third-time-in-40-years-morehttps://sourcenm.com/2026/04/06/new-mexico-begins-review-of-threatened-and-endangered-species/https://capitalandmain.com/oil-companies-accused-of-massive-accounting-fraud-in-new-mexicoMusic credits for this show include: Get Through It (Instrumental) by Neu Song and ree Spirits (Instrumental) by Chill Winston.As always, find us on Substack, Spotify or Apple and follow us on Instagram. And if you really want to, you can drop us a note at [email protected] for listening to the Lesser Known New Mexico Podcast!cheers, Andy & Laura (and Mary) This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit lesserknownnmpod.substack.com

Listeners probably remember Brian Colón from his years in New Mexico politics. He ran once for mayor of Albuquerque, once for New Mexico attorney general and served as state auditor. Now he’s the managing partner of Singleton Schreiber’s New Mexico offices and representing families impacted by the Hermits Peak-Calf Canyon Fire. Brian talked to Andy about growing up in New Mexico and what motivates him to go head to head with FEMA’s Claims Office Director, Jay Mitchell. (There’s also some talk of a young man named Benito Martínez Ocasio!)Friend of the podcast Patrick Lohmann has been covering the impacts of the fire from day one, Here’s his latest story about Mitchell being placed on administrative leave earlier this month. Long-time readers of Laura’s work might also remember that Jay Mitchell was on her radar a decade ago when he was in charge of New Mexico’s Department of Homeland Security and Emergency Management:https://sfreporter.com/archives/emergency-mismanagement/Laura and Andy also talk about some more local news coverage of Jeffery Epstein and how maybe it’s time for men to take a break from politics. If you aren’t already subscribed to Laura’s personal Substack, you may have missed her latest about how New Mexico dropped the ball on climate action. Music credits for this show include: Get Through It (Instrumental) by Neu Song and Essentials (Instrumental) by Seb Sanders.As always, find us on Substack, Spotify or Apple and follow us on Instagram. And if you really want to, you can drop us a note at [email protected] for listening to the Lesser Known New Mexico Podcast! This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit lesserknownnmpod.substack.com

Photojournalist Diana Cervantes has spent years documenting the critically endangered Sacramento Mountains checkerspot butterfly. In December her photos and videos were part of a story in The New York Times, “They’re Trying to Find a Mate for This Very Lonely Caterpillar.” It was great to have Cervantes back on the podcast to talk about the butterfly, being a compassionate photojournalist in an era of extinction, and more.Head over to Instagram and follow her at @dee_sea_photo and see all of her images and videos, including of the butterfly and caterpillar — and the scientists studying and trying to protect the Sacramento Mountains checkerspot butterfly.And if you want to be cool like Diana and Laura, someday you should go see the bat outflight at El Malpais National Monument: https://www.nps.gov/thingstodo/elma-bat-outflight.htmMeanwhile, to hear our 2025 conversation with Cervantes: Music credits for this show include: Get Through It (Instrumental) by Neu Song and Butterfly Samba (Feat. Dani Catalá) (Instrumental) by Kiabits.As always, find us on Substack, Spotify or Apple and follow us on Instagram. And if you really want to, you can drop us a note at [email protected] for listening to the Lesser Known New Mexico Podcast! This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit lesserknownnmpod.substack.com

Lindsay Wood runs Albuquerque’s Nob Hill News, plus its new offshoots covering the International District and the North Valley. Andy talks with her about how that all works — and what she sees for the future. Plus, we chat about Sunday’s Anti-ICE Rally in downtown Albuquerque and look ahead to next week’s show, with photojournalist Diana Cervantes. Music credits: Get Through It (Instrumental) by Neu Song and Ink Splash (Feat. Richard Houghten) (Instrumental) by Arms and SleepersFind us on Substack, Spotify or Apple and follow us on Instagram. And if you really want to, you can drop us a note at [email protected] for listening to the Lesser Known New Mexico Podcast! This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit lesserknownnmpod.substack.com

Know what we love?Knowing what the heck is happening in our community.This week, we talk with Peter Rice, who runs Downtown Albuquerque News. To find out more about DAN, head on over to the website: https://downtownalbuquerquenews.com/Music credits: Get Through It (Instrumental) by Neu Song and Ink Splash (Feat. Richard Houghten) (Instrumental) by Arms and SleepersFind us on Substack, Spotify or Apple and follow us on Instagram. And if you really want to, you can drop us a note at [email protected] for listening to the Lesser Known New Mexico Podcast! This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit lesserknownnmpod.substack.com

"Pay attention, have a plan, be prepared."~ Karen CoatesReporters Karen Coates and Jerry Redfern now live in New Mexico. But they have been reporting on environmental and social issues from Southeast Asia for 20 years.They spoke recently about a new story they have in Capital & Main, "In a Time of Extreme Peril, Burmese Journalists Tell Stories From the Shadows." And they shared some advice from the exiled reporters now living in — and reporting from — Thailand.Some of the other things mentioned in this episode include:* Jerry Redfern’s work at Capital & Main: https://capitalandmain.com/author/jerryredfern* Mongabay* Cold light of day: Thank climate change for this winter’s warm temperatures (Laura Paskus, Source NM)* More than 80 environmental groups call on Heinrich, Lee to oppose Pearce as BLM director (Patrick Lohmann, Source NM)* New Mexico Local News Fellowships & Internships: https://www.newmexicolocalnewsfellowships.org/apply-now* New Mexico News Map: https://www.nmnewsmap.org/Music credits: Get Through It (Instrumental) by Neu Song and Ink Splash (Feat. Richard Houghten) (Instrumental) by Arms and SleepersFind us on Substack, Spotify or Apple and follow us on Instagram. And if you really want to, you can drop us a note at [email protected] for listening to the Lesser Known New Mexico Podcast! This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit lesserknownnmpod.substack.com

This week, Andy talks with Eric Speegle with Verdes Cannabis about important changes in the weed world, like the hemp ban, tax issues, and the Trump administration’s reclassification of marijuana.We also talk about some of the cool things recent guests on the Lesser Known New Mexico Podcast have been up to and about Republican Duke Rodriguez, the latest candidate to toss his hat into the New Mexico gubernatorial race.Other topics this week include:* The Trump administration’s plans to close the National Center for Atmospheric Research in Boulder: https://www.nytimes.com/2025/12/17/climate/national-center-for-atmospheric-research-trump.html* The late Letty Belin, a kickass water attorney who in the early 21st century won an important battle for water for endangered species on the Rio Grande — which U.S. Sens. Pete Domenici and Jeff Bingaman immediately overturned with a rider in the 2004 water and energy spending bill. (Talk about the good ol’ days of bipartisan politics!)You can see Rep. Melanie Stansbury’s tribute to Belin on social media:* Healthy Climate New Mexico’s recent candidate forum on climate change.* Hakim Bellamy’s show on NMPBS: https://www.facebook.com/NewMexicoPBS/videos/across-new-mexico-civil-discourse-spotlights-a-group-of-new-mexicans-in-conversa/845392625053839/* V.B. Price’s new book: https://casaurracapress.com/bookstore/p/innocence-regainedMusic credits: Get Through It (Instrumental) by Neu Song.Find us on Substack, Spotify or Apple and follow us on Instagram. And if you really want to, you can drop us a note at [email protected] for listening to the Lesser Known New Mexico Podcast! Happy holidays and we’ll see you in 2026! This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit lesserknownnmpod.substack.com

This week, Laura talks with Annie Ersinghaus, a filmmaker from Las Cruces. They talk about the Lower Rio Grande, and also Ersinghaus’s new film, “The Land of Sacrifice: The Burden of New Mexico’s Oil and Gas Extraction.”Watch “The Land of Sacrifice” on the NM LAWS website: https://www.nmlandairwatersacred.org/sacrificeAnd find The Water Is Coming ¡Ya Viene La Agua!” on Vimeo: Andy and Laura talk about local news and events and the episode closes with an audio postcard from the bosque in Albuquerque. In the news:By the #s: the places firefighters dropped retardant during Hermits Peak-Calf Canyon Fire, by Patrick LohmannDowntown Albuquerque NewsNob Hill NewsTwinkle Light Parade in AlbuquerqueMusic credits: Get Through It (Instrumental) by Neu Song and Tea and Lemonade by Mad KeysThanks for listening to the Lesser Known New Mexico Podcast!You can find us on Substack, Spotify or Apple and follow us on Instagram. And if you really want to, you can drop us a note at [email protected]. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit lesserknownnmpod.substack.com

This week Laura talks to southern New Mexico journalist Heath Haussamen about his coverage of Project Jupiter. You can find his latest coverage here. Laura and Andy are back to recording episodes in person and apparently have some different views about both the weather and time changes. Music credits: Get Through It (Instrumental) by Neu Song and Lazers (Instrumental) by Fobos.Thanks for listening to the Lesser Known New Mexico Podcast!You can find us on Substack, Spotify or Apple and follow us on Instagram. And if you really want to, you can drop us a note at [email protected]. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit lesserknownnmpod.substack.com

This week, Laura talks with Xochitl Torres Small, executive director of the Quivira Coalition. They chat about politics, vulnerability, failure, collaboration, regenerative agriculture, and so much more.If you’re interested in the REGENERATE Conference, happening next week in Santa Fe, visit the Quivira Coalition’s websiteTo learn a little about “Zeedyk Infrastructure” check out his introduction to “induced meandering.”And during their Zoom call, Andy and Laura talk a little about the federal government shutdown and resources people might need while not drawing a paycheck: How to get a break on utility bills: https://citydesk.org/2025/10/24/furloughed-in-albuquerque-heres-how-to-defer-your-water-other-utility-bill/Free meals: https://www.koat.com/article/new-mexico-free-meals-kids-list-gov-shutdown/69172032?utm_campaign=snd-autopilotHyena’s Green Room Podcast on AppleHyena’s Green Room Podcast on SpotifyGreen Room InstagramMusic credits: Get Through It (Instrumental) by Neu Song and Adventurous Spirit (Instrumental) by Redmond.Thanks for listening to the Lesser Known New Mexico Podcast!You can find us on Substack, Spotify or Apple and follow us on Instagram. And if you really want to, you can drop us a note at [email protected]. Don’t forget to vote! This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit lesserknownnmpod.substack.com

Andy and Mike continue their chat about healthy male relationships and dive deeper into Mike’s history with music, the importance of male role models and Mike’s next business moves.Music credits: Get Through It (instrumental) by Neu SongThanks for listening to the Lesser Known New Mexico Podcast!You can find us on Substack, Spotify or Apple and follow us on Instagram. And if you really want to, you can drop us a note at [email protected]. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit lesserknownnmpod.substack.com

This week, Andy interviews Albuquerque’s Mike Silva about an event coming up on Saturday, the third annual Brotherhood Love Out Loud Social, and about the value of authentic male friendships. Andy and Laura also talk about some of the news, including Gene Grant’s new job as director of the New Mexico Office of African American Affairs. And Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham’s new “Rocky Mountain Gas Roadmap & Implementation Playbook.”But a much cooler playbook — or toolkit — is the 2nd edition of the New Mexico Healthy Masculinities Toolkit. That’s a collaborative project from 17 organizations, ranging from Together for Brothers to Tewa Women United. Find it in English or Spanish: https://masculinitiesnm.org/Music credits: Get Through It (instrumental) by Neu Song and Free Feels (instrumental) by Jared Marc.Thanks for listening to the Lesser Known New Mexico Podcast! We’ll share Andy’s full conversation with Mike in the coming days!You can find us on Substack, Spotify or Apple and follow us on Instagram. And if you really want to, you can drop us a note at [email protected]. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit lesserknownnmpod.substack.com

This week’s episode features an interview with Cynthia Barnett, author of books like Rain: A Natural and Cultural History and The Sound of the Sea: Seashells and the Fate of the Oceans. Andy and Laura also talk about the upcoming special session of the New Mexico Legislature — and about Heath Haussamen’s coverage of Project Jupiter. We’ll have Haussamen on a future episode, but in the meantime check out some of his recent work, linked below.Meanwhile, Laura was happy to spend some time on Saturday with Cynthia Barnett, who was in Albuquerque to deliver the annual Leopold Lecture, as part of The Leopold Writing Program. During her talk at Los Poblanos on Sunday, Barnett spoke about Luna Leopold, son of Aldo and Estella Leopold, who was born in Albuquerque in 1915 — and about his “water ethic.”In our conversation, we talk about rain, rivers, reverence, and more. (And if you listen closely, you’ll hear some busy birds, including a spotted towhee….)Links to learn more: Cynthia BarnettThe Leopold Writing ProgramSociety of Environmental JournalistsCounty releases Project Jupiter NDAs as pressure mounts, Heath HaussamenProject Jupiter’s lesson: We must build local community, Heath HaussamenChicagoans Avoided Their ‘Filthy’ River for Years. On Sunday, They Swam in It. (New York Times)Want to Swim in the Seine This Summer? Paris Says There’s Still Time. (New York Times)Music credits: Intro/theme song: Get Through It (Instrumental) by Neu Song. Alaska (Instrumental) by Tyler CainThanks for listening to the Lesser Known New Mexico Podcast!You can find us on Substack, Spotify or Apple and follow us on Instagram. And if you really want to, you can drop us a note at [email protected] p.s. here’s one of the frogs Laura saw in Connecticut…. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit lesserknownnmpod.substack.com

We’re back with author and professor Ryan Swanson!What more did we have to talk about? In a nutshell: Soccer, systems, community, and justice.More specifically, we talk about:* Shame in college soccer, around different rules and ethics and what Swanson notes is an interesting tension in soccer to win and play it the “right way.”* Who helped the players navigate their possible futures while Coach Jeremy Fishbein tried to save the team? (Hint: assistant coaches Mike Graczyk and Kelly Altman)* Title IX and why the University of New Mexico is still out of compliance (even though that was one of the reasons given for cutting the men’s soccer team).* Why he wrote the book, and how UNM has reacted to it.* UNM’s struggle within the larger context of college sports, and what radical reform might look like (and did look like at places like the University of Chicago and Vanderbilt University).* Correlations between New Mexico United and the UNM men’s soccer team. Plus, more on New Mexico United and that team’s future — and the role it could play in the state.* The bummer of youth soccer … Did you know New Mexico is 50th in terms of youth sports activities?* The segregation of youth soccer in New Mexico and across the United States — and the growth of the club sport system, which Swanson calls a “net negative for society as a whole.”Music credits: Get Through it (Instrumental), Neu Song Thanks for listening to the Lesser Known New Mexico Podcast!You can find us on Substack, Spotify or Apple and follow us on Instagram. And if you really want to, you can drop us a note at [email protected]. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit lesserknownnmpod.substack.com

This week, we feature a conversation with University of New Mexico Professor Ryan Swanson about his new book, “A Beautiful Shame: One Team's Fight for Survival in a New Era of College Sports.”Swanson embedded with the UNM men’s soccer team during its final season — and he dives into the story of how and why UNM cut the program in 2018. It’s a sports story, but also a story of New Mexico politics. (Like, for real. Take a listen. Even if you don’t care about sports.)And watch out for the second part of the interview, when we nerd out even more about things like the NCAA, Title IX, the Mountain West Conference, New Mexico politics, and so much more. Music credits: Get Through it (Instrumental), Neu Song and Push (Instrumental), Matthew L. FisherThanks for listening to the Lesser Known New Mexico Podcast!You can find us on Substack, Spotify or Apple and follow us on Instagram. And if you really want to, you can drop us a note at [email protected]. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit lesserknownnmpod.substack.com

This week, we talk about the U.S. - Mexico border and the militarization of the borderlands with photojournalist Justin Hamel. We also talk about the upcoming special session of the New Mexico Legislature, which will start on Oct. 1.Hamel currently works for The Waco Bridge, but prior to that, he’d been reporting from the borderlands since 2018. That means he reported through the first Trump administration, the Biden administration, and the beginning of the second Trump presidency. He talks about what he’s seen along the way, and humanizes some of the abstractions for people who think about policy instead of people. (And reminds us that concertina wire isn’t just some kind of decoration…)Also mentioned in the podcast:Deaths in the New Mexico desert surge after Texas’ border crackdown reaches El Paso (Uriel J. García, Texas Tribune, Patrick Lohmann, Yuriko Schumacher, Texas Tribune and Photos by Justin Hamel) NM Gov announces Oct. 1 special session on federal cuts to healthcare, nutrition, public media (Patrick Lohmann, Source NM)A few weeks ago, we shared an interview with Charlie Barrett of Oilfield Witness. That nonprofit was featured in a really good recent story from Inside Climate News and ProPublica, Trump Says America’s Oil Industry Is Cleaner Than Other Countries’. New Data Shows Massive Emissions From Texas Wells.Music credits: Get Through it (Instrumental) by Neu Song and Mirror Mirrow (Instrumental) by Juniper ValeThanks for listening to the Lesser Known New Mexico Podcast! You can find us on Substack, Spotify or Apple and follow us on Instagram. And if you really want to, you can drop us a note at [email protected]. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit lesserknownnmpod.substack.com

This week, we feature an interview with Charlie Barrett. He’s an ecologist and has worked as a wildland firefighter, and he’s a thermographer with Oilfield Witness. Laura interviewed him earlier this summer about what he sees down in the Permian Basin — and what New Mexico is, and isn’t, doing when it comes to addressing climate change.According to Oilfield Witness, they’re a group of “methane hunters” and organizers who use optical gas imaging technology to track and expose the unseen emissions from the oil and gas industry. They’ve done work in the San Juan and Permian basins here in New Mexico — and also exposed that xAI in Memphis is emitting plumes of nitrogen oxides, formaldehyde, and fine particulate matter.Also mentioned in this podcast:New Mexico News PortLast dance for the lesser prairie chicken? Endangered species listing is vacated (Santa Fe New Mexican)Homeland Sec. Noem visits NM, says Trump wants border wall painted black (Danielle Prokop, Source NM)Wildlife and the Border Wall (2019, NMPBS)NM Republicans — and one Democrat — tour Otero ICE Detention Center (Patrick Lohmann, Source NM)Advocates raise alarm after feds kill a Mexican gray wolf blamed for ranch conflicts (John Leos, The Arizona Republic)Thanks for listening to the Lesser Known New Mexico Podcast! You can find us on Substack, Spotify or Apple and follow us on Instagram. And if you really want to, you can drop us a note at [email protected] credits: Get Through it (Instrumental) by Neu Song and Mirror Mirrow (Instrumental) by Juniper Vale This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit lesserknownnmpod.substack.com

hey everyone!We’re back, after spending some quality summertime hours with our kids instead of working on a podcast on top of our regular jobs!Over the next few weeks, we’ve got some great interviews lined up on topics including oil and gas development in the Permian Basin, reporting on the border, and a new book out about sports…Meanwhile, this week, Andy set out to learn about what it means — in practice — that New Mexico has legalized the medical use of psilocybin. He spoke with the University of New Mexico’s Dr. Lawrence Leeman. Andy and Laura also catch up with each other — and on the news. (And heap praise on friends over at KUNM, who work super hard to bring New Mexicans the news.) For more information:Why our state bird loves it here (Mia Casas, KUNM)New Mexico’s rivers need their waters (Source NM)Rio Grande dry for 10-mile stretch in Albuquerque (Mark Haslett, KUNM)Amid strong opposition, New Mexico water board lets plan for more oil and gas wastewater use proceed (Danielle Prokop, Source NM)Federal agency finding clears path for construction to begin on divisive LANL power transmission line (Alaina Mencinger, Santa Fe New Mexican)The UNM Duck Pond returns: Beloved landmark to reopen in August (UNM press release)Watering recommendations from 505 Outside from the Albuquerque Bernalillo County Water Utility AuthorityInformation on providing water for wildlife: https://www.wildlifetrusts.org/actions/how-provide-water-wildlifeAnd of course, the Lesser Known New Mexico Podcast thinks it stinks that a federal judge has agreed with the Trump administration and stripped Endangered Species Act protections from the lesser prairie chicken. Thanks for listening to the Lesser Known New Mexico Podcast!You can find us on Substack, Spotify or Apple and follow us on Instagram. And if you really want to, you can drop us a note at [email protected] credits: Get Through it (instrumental), Neu Song; Glitch Fidelity (instrumental), Marscott This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit lesserknownnmpod.substack.com

This week, you’ll hear an interview with New Mexico legend and poet, V.B. Price and a conversation with photojournalist Diana Cervantes. Barrett and Laura talk about a lot of things, including his actor father being “graylisted” during the McCarthy era and what participating in a war economy does to your sense of right and wrong. And Diana talks with Andy and Laura about storytelling through a lens, the challenges of photojournalism — and the need for joy and whimsey. For further reading:North American Monsoon Drought Status Update: https://www.drought.gov/drought-status-updates/north-american-monsoon-drought-status-update-2025-06-30V.B. Price’s Mercury Messenger: https://mercmessenger.com/Books by V.B. Price: https://www.vbprice.com/booksDiana Cervantes: https://dianalcervantes.com/Mark Holm remembrance: https://dreamranch.blog/2017/06/11/friend-and-teacher-to-us-all/“Placitas Wild: Amid, Rancor, Advocates Scramble to Find Homes for Wild Horses”: https://dianalcervantes.com/placitas-wild-amid-rancor-advocates-scramble-to-find-homes-for-wild-horses“A Lighthouse Keeper Hangs Up Her Bonnet”: https://dianalcervantes.com/a-lighthouse-keeper-hangs-up-her-bonnet“The Lady of the Pigeons”: https://dianalcervantes.com/the-lady-of-the-pigeonsThanks for listening to the Lesser Known New Mexico Podcast!You can find us on Substack, Spotify or Apple and follow us on Instagram. And if you really want to, you can drop us a note at [email protected] credits: Get Through it (instrumental), Neu Song; Glitch Fidelity (instrumental), Marscott This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit lesserknownnmpod.substack.com

Decision makers have had the facts on climate change for a long, long time. And yet…? On this week’s show, climate activists Jonathan Juarez-Alonzo & Feleecia Guillen sit down with Laura Paskus to talk about their work at YUCCA and why New Mexico isn’t leading the way on climate action. Plus, Rep. Angelica Rubio (D-Doña Ana) explains why she came back to social media after the protests in Los Angeles. She also discusses the beauty and joy of the U.S.-Mexico border — and how bikes bring people together. And, Andy and Laura highlight (and link to!) some of the important stories on immigration in New Mexico right now. You can find us on Substack, Spotify or Apple and follow us on Instagram. And if you really want to, you can drop us a note at [email protected] credits: Get Through it (Instrumental), Neu Song; Rippling Dessert (Instrumental), Another Brick; New Kids (Instrumental), More Like Georgia.For further reading:ICE arrested an Albuquerque man. He ended up in the hospital. Now no one knows where he is. (Patrick Lohmann, Source NM)Deaths in the New Mexico desert surge after Texas’ border crackdown reaches El Paso (Uriel J. García, Texas Tribune, Patrick Lohmann, Yuriko Schumacher, Texas Tribune and photos by Justin Hamel)Albuquerque-based company a big-time player in ICE deportation flights (Cathy Cook and Dan Boyd, Albuquerque Journal)Meet the ICE Contractor Running Deportation Flights (Project on Government Oversight)YUCCA (Youth United for Climate Crisis Action) In Democratic New Mexico, Oil and Gas Legislation Doesn’t Pass (Jerry Redfern, Capital & Main)In New Mexico, Democrats Strike an Oil and Gas Gusher: ‘Money Buys Access’ (Jerry Redfern, Capital & Main)New Mexico State Rep. Angelica Rubio (D-Doña Ana) This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit lesserknownnmpod.substack.com

In their full conversation, Andy Lyman and Hakim Bellamy talk about poetry, activism, community, and more. Music: Own Way (Instrumental), BAP and Glitch Fidelity (Instrumental), MarscottThanks for listening to the Lesser Known New Mexico Podcast!You can also find us on Spotify or Apple and follow us on Instagram. And if you really want to, you can drop us a note at [email protected]. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit lesserknownnmpod.substack.com

On this week’s show, Andy Lyman talks with Hakim Bellamy, who will be familiar to lots of listeners. He was the inaugural Poet Laureate of Albuquerque and is an actor, facilitator, author, and all-around amazing person. AND, he just graduated from the University of New Mexico’s School of Law. Bellamy talks about activism, “bullet-proofing” legislation, love for New Mexico — and, he shares a new poem.Later in the show, Laura Paskus talks with the founder of the Albuquerque Backyard Refuge Program about how to make your yard more wildlife-friendly (it’s easy! it’s cheap!) and why being a part of a community project like this one feels so good. Since we taped this episode on Monday morning, the Trump administration has sent U.S. Marines to Los Angeles. For more reporting on that, we suggest the links below.For more information on (almost) everything mentioned in the show:LAPD pushes to quell unrest downtown as legal battles heat up over Marine activation (LA Times)Live Updates: Marines Arrive in L.A. After Night of Muted Protests (New York Times)Fake Images and Conspiracy Theories Swirl Around L.A. Protests (New York Times)Attacks on the Press, and the Specter of 2020, in LA (Columbia Journalism Review)These Could Be the Unkindest Cuts of All in the West (V.B Price, Mercury Messenger)‘The time for action is now’: Pressure mounts for negotiations over the Colorado River’s future (Colorado Sun)“Everywhere is a Gila”, 2015 poem from Hakim Bellamy (Because, just a reminder, the Gila River is a tributary to the Colorado River)Albuquerque Backyard Refuge Program: http://friendsofvalledeoro.org/abq-backyard-refuge/Thanks for listening to the Lesser Known New Mexico Podcast!You can also find us onSpotify orApple and follow us on Instagram. And if you really want to, you can drop us a note at [email protected]: Get Through it (Instrumental), Neu Song; Own Way (Instrumental), BAP; Glitch Fidelity (Instrumental), Marscott This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit lesserknownnmpod.substack.com

This week, Andy Lyman interviews Cory Murchy, assistant director of operations at Rancho de Las Golondrinas — and bassist for Minus the Bear. We also visit with reporter Hannah Grover about some of her reporting in the Estancia Basin. And we talk about some of the important news around New Mexico (measles! hydrogen! the Torrance County Detention Facility…) And a trigger warning: Murchy briefly talks about a friend who died by suicide. For more information on the topics in this week’s show:Measles spreads to sixth New Mexico county (Source NM) https://sourcenm.com/briefs/measles-spreads-to-sixth-new-mexico-county/New Mexico Department of Health Measles Guidance: https://www.nmhealth.org/about/erd/ideb/mog/Many on Navajo Nation Blindsided by Hydrogen Pipeline Change (Jerry Redfern, Capital & Main) https://capitalandmain.com/many-on-navajo-nation-blindsided-by-hydrogen-pipeline-changeAddicted to ICE: Like a growing number of US communities, Torrance County, New Mexico, is convinced its financial survival depends on locking up immigrants. (Rachel Adams-Heard, Polly Mosendz, and Fola Akinnibi, Bloomberg) https://www.bloomberg.com/features/2025-addicted-to-ice-immigrant-detention-centers/Sewage flooding cells inside Torrance County ICE prison again, advocates say (Austin Fisher, Source NM) https://sourcenm.com/2025/05/02/sewage-flooding-cells-inside-torrance-county-ice-prison-again-advocates-say/Estancia residents asked to conserve water amid well issues (Hannah Grover, Abq City Desk) https://nmpoliticalreport.com/2025/05/01/estancia-residents-asked-to-conserve-water-amid-well-issues/Thanks for listening to the Lesser Known New Mexico Podcast!You can also find us on Spotify or Apple and follow us on Instagram. And if you really want to, you can drop us a note at [email protected]. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit lesserknownnmpod.substack.com

In their full conversation, Andy Lyman and Cory Murchy talk all about music, including the band Minus the Bear. They also chat about Murchy’s work at El Rancho de Las Golondrinas, PFAS and personal responsibility, and mental health.Trigger warning: Murchy briefly talks about a friend who died by suicide. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit lesserknownnmpod.substack.com

In Episode 2 of the Lesser Known New Mexico Podcast, you heard Tom Swetnam, Professor Emeritus of Dedrochronology at the University of Arizona, talk about wildfire and his hope for the future. In the full conversation, he talks about the history of fire in the Jemez Mountains and his new book, The Jemez Mountains: A Cultural and Natural History. And, he reveals the amazingness that is Soda Dam. If you live in New Mexico, there’s a good chance you’ve driven past Soda Dam on Highway 4 north of Jemez Springs. And if you’re like me, you had no idea how it formed — or that in the 1960s, the Department of Transportation cut it in two to improve the highway.For more information:The Jemez Mountains: A Cultural and Natural History, by Thomas W. SwetnamEpisode 2 of the Lesser Known New Mexico PodcastThanks for listening to the Lesser Known New Mexico Podcast! You can also find us on Spotify or Apple and follow us on Instagram. And if you really want to, you can drop us a note at [email protected]. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit lesserknownnmpod.substack.com

On this week’s Lesser Known New Mexico Podcast, we feature Tom Swetnam, Professor Emeritus of Dendrochronology at the University of Arizona, who talks about his hopes for the future when it comes to managing healthy fire in southwestern forests. We also sit down with High Country News correspondent Shaun Griswold (Pueblo of Laguna with Jemez and Zuni ancestry), to discuss his recent essay, “The Cybertruck is all tricks and no truck, a musky Tesla fail.”For more information:The Jemez Mountains: A Cultural and Natural History, by Thomas W. SwetnamFull interview with Swetnam: TKTrump Officials Ask Court to End Protections for a Strutting, Showy Bird (Catrin Einhorn, The New York Times)The Cybertruck is all tricks and no truck, a musky Tesla fail (Shaun Griswold, High Country News)An intimate look at New Mexico’s lowrider culture (Gabriela Campos and Don. J. Usner, High Country News) This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit lesserknownnmpod.substack.com

On our first episode of the Lesser Known New Mexico Podcast, Andy Lyman (and Sully) interview New Mexico United midfielder Sergio Rivas. We also talk to New Mexico Source reporter Patrick Lohmann about the federal government’s push to bring uranium mining back to New Mexico. And, we wrap up with our friend Carlos Contreras at The Artist Factory.For more information:The Hometown Kid is Back! New Mexico United Announces Return of Sergio Rivas (NM United)Long-stalled NM uranium mines now ‘priority projects’ at Cibola Forest, leader tells employees (Patrick Lohmann, Source NM)Uranium transport through Navajo Nation sparks concerns in New Mexico (Patrick Lohmann, Source NM)Navajo advocates say prez’s approval of uranium transport, Trump coal order feels like a betrayal (Patrick Lohmann, Source NM)Find The Artist Factory on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theartistfactoryabq/Hosts: Andy Lyman and Laura Paskus This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit lesserknownnmpod.substack.com

Reporters Andy Lyman and Laura Paskus worked together during the first Trump administration — and they know how easy it is for people to lose track of New Mexico news when everyone is overwhelmed by the national scene. They also know it’s easy for people to tune out when everything in the news is crazy or upsetting or scary.On the Lesser Known New Mexico Podcast, you’ll hear interviews from around New Mexico. Plus, there will be news, media analysis, and regular check-ins with journalists around the region. You can also follow us on Instagram.Subscribe to get full access to the newsletter and publication and show archives. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit lesserknownnmpod.substack.com